Performing at CCB

Interested in performing at Comedy Café Berlin? Read on!

All performers at Comedy Café Berlin are required to read and agree to our Community Code of Conduct and Theatre Policies.

Shows at Comedy Café Berlin are booked by our Booking Committee. Read more here!

Stand up/ sketch/ ensemble/ out of town acts

Please read fully before contacting us!

We do not book for stand up showcases so requests for feature or open spots will be ignored. Our weekly stand up open mic is currently on hiatus but you can find a plethora of mics all over the city at comedyinenglish.de. Visiting improvisers (and anyone else!) are welcome to join our open improv jam on Sundays.

If you have a stand up solo or double bill, sketch, or ensemble comedy show, please read on.
We kindly ask that you check our schedule before submitting! We typically book at least several months in advance, so last minute requests will likely be impossible. We have performance slots on select Thursdays and Saturdays – due to our regular weekly programming on weeknights, those nights are almost always unavailable. Shows should be 50 – 60 minutes in length. Please submit your show via the form below or via email (please do not message us on other platforms or send us physical submissions via post). Be aware that due to the volume of submissions, we cannot answer all messages, nor can we in any way guarantee you a show. We highly recommend including video links and any awards/recommendations you’ve received.

All show submissions and booking requests are sent to our Booking Committee for review.


    Improv

    CCB House Teams

    CCB House Teams represent the pinnacle of The CCB Training School and the best of what our theatre has to offer.

    Students who have satisfactorily completed Levels 1 – 3 are able to audition for House Teams, and, upon acceptance, are coached by CCBTS instructors and coaches. Improvisers with equivalent experience are welcome to apply for a waiver to audition by emailing [email protected], but must receive approval before being eligible to audition! Auditions will be held once or twice a year and will be advertised via our newsletters, social media channels and posters at the theatre. Team members are expected to commit to regular (weekly) practice sessions and bi-weekly shows for a period of 18 months.
    House Teams perform regularly on Friday nights at CCB and House Team members form the cast for many other shows at the theatre. House Team members are also automatically eligible to be an approved indie team coach and are likewise eligible to enter the CCBTS teacher training program and become teachers at CCBTS.

    How to perform on the CCB stage if you’re not on House Teams

    CCB is committed to growing interest in improv and the improv community at large, and does so through The CCB Training School and our ever-growing program of improv shows. As a locus of improvised comedy in Berlin, the theatre is inherently responsible for providing space for improvisers to perform, no matter their skill level, and does so in a number of ways. First and foremost, the theatre presents improv at its highest level via House Teams. Following this, CCB provides opportunities for improvisers who are either not yet at their highest potential, cannot commit to a regular performance schedule, or are simply passing through Berlin and would like to get on stage.

    In an effort to be aware of the various indie teams in the community, the Booking Committee has put together a form for indie and practice teams to ‘register’ their team with the Committee. This registration allows us to book and support as many new teams as possible. Register your team here.

    The following outlines the numerous ways in which improvisers can perform on the CCB stage if they are not on a House Team. These improvisers may be solo performers who are not on a team, have formed a team on their own, referred to as an “Indie Team”, or are simply visiting from abroad.

    Where to perform

    The CCB Program includes several evenings for solo improvisers and indie teams to perform on stage:

    1. The CCB Improv Jam
      • The jam takes place every Thursday and is open to anyone who wants to perform.
      • Level 2 indie teams are also selected to host the jam. A new indie team hosts every week.
    2. The Hedge
      • The Hedge is an improv comedy showcase hosted by Cuter Than Hedgehogs which takes place every 2nd Thursday. The showcase is open to indie teams, both newly formed or more established.
    3. The CCB Improv Tournament/CageMatch
      • Twice a year CCB hosts an open longform improv tournament.  
    4. Indie Improv Show
      • Every 2nd Friday at 9:30pm CCB hosts the CCB Indie Improv Night featuring indie teams.
    5. Kringel (auf Deutsch)
      • Once a month, CCB hosts 2 indie teams performing in German.
      • Einmal im Monat präsentiert CCB 2 Indie Teams, die auf Deutsch auftreten.

    How to perform

    Depending on the evening, solo improvisers and indie teams can get on stage in a number of ways:

    1. Sign up for the CCB Improv Jam as a solo improviser
      • Improvisers sign up with their name before the jam starts, and are then randomly placed on a team. Each team gets 15-20 minutes to perform long form improv.
    2. Meet the requirements for hosting the CCB Improv Jam with an indie team
      • If a team meets the requirements for hosting (see below) then they can express interest by contacting the Booking Committee.
    3. Sign up for The Hedge with an indie team
      • Indie teams are encouraged to sign up in advance via this form. If selected, each team gets ~20 minutes to perform. The only vetting process is scheduling, availability and frequency with which you perform. Cuter Than Hedgehogs curate the evening according to who’s available and opportunity (i.e., teams and performers who haven’t seen much stage time will get preference).
    4. Sign up for the Cage Match with an indie team
      • Open bi-annual calls (via our newsletter, website and social media channels) are made for indie teams to sign up.
    5. Meet the requirements for the Indie Improv Show or Kringel (see below) and express interest with the Booking Committee.
      • Indie teams are selected by invitation only.
    6. Submit a show application for your eligible and experienced improv team with the Booking Committee.
      • Newer teams are encouraged to apply for a Late Night show spot (11pm on Fridays) before requesting a regular show

        You may reach the Booking Committee via the form above or by emailing [email protected]

    Requirements for indie improv teams & shows

    Indie teams that are interested in performing must fulfill certain criteria according to the show, in addition to agreeing to our Community Code of Conduct:

    General Main Stage Shows (including Indie Improv Show & Kringel)

    1. All performers must have completed The CCB Training School curriculum through Level 3.
    2. The team must receive regular coaching from CCBTS approved coaches.
    3. Be approved* by the Booking Committee

    * Approval is a judgement call based on whether a team meets a standard of high level of performance. Do they improvise well? Do they conduct themselves professionally? Are they daring, smart and do they make interesting moves on stage? Teams that are not deemed to meet this criteria will be given feedback in order to improve their performance level.

    Hosting the CCB Improv Jam

    1. All performers must have completed The CCB Training School curriculum through Level 2 (Truth of the Scene and Game of the Scene)
    2. The team must understand and agree to the CCB improv jam tips and be able to coherently present them to the audience and fellow jammers.

    The Cage Match

    1. No requirements, any indie team can sign up. Specific tournament rules apply. Read more information about the tournaments here.

    The Hedge

    1. No requirements. Though newly formed teams are encouraged to put some practice time in.

    Playing the CCB Improv Jam

    1. No requirements. Be aware that the Jam is for individuals, not teams.